When Monica Merritt and her husband Darron were looking for a school district for their children, they chose Plymouth-Canton Community Schools.

Late in the 2015-16 school year, Merritt was chosen to replace Dr. Michel Meissen, whose contract was not renewed. She was officially named superintendent July 1, 2016.

Her first year must have gone pretty well. On Tuesday, the district's Board of Education extended her contract by a year, through the 2019-20 school year.

"We finished (Merritt's) evaluation in June and we felt we've had a successful year," board President Kate Borninski said. "(The extension) is a reflection of that success."

Merritt's career has included stints as a teacher, a principal and an administrator in districts including Southfield and Ypsilanti. After advancing to be executive director of human resources in Ypsilanti, Merritt joined Plymouth-Canton's leadership team in 2011 as assistant superintendent for human resources and labor relations.

Merritt has relaunched the P-CCS Blue Ribbon Panel, a community-based initiative to help boost student enrollment in the district, and, in July 2016, P-CCS was one of 58 districts in the state (and one of three in Wayne County) to be named as a "Notably Successful" district — the highest measure given — in the Michigan Education Finance Study, recognizing how financial resources are used to increase academic achievement.

Her contract extension comes just a couple of weeks after the board completed her annual evaluation, during which Merritt scored an "effective" rating.

Kim Crouch, who served as board president during Merritt's first year, had high praise for the superintendent.

"It was a really outstanding first year, and a job well done," Crouch said.

Merritt has also developed a solid working relationship with the board, which has had a tumultuous relationship with several superintendents (the district has had six superintendents since 2000).

The board and the administration have worked with Wayne RESA experts on board governance and the roles of the administration and board. Merritt lauded the "journey we've taken together" after her evaluation was completed.

She reiterated that praise Tuesday, when her contract was extended. She said she was grateful for the chance to lead the district her family had chosen.

"Having the opportunity to join the team (in 2011) was like catching lightning in a bottle," Merritt said. "Then I was given the chance to lead this district. Who gets to catch lightning in a bottle twice?"

bkadrich@hometownlife.com

Twitter: @bkadrich

New teachers receive congratulations from Plymouth-Canton Board of Education members and administrators at Tuesday's meeting. The district is hiring nearly two dozen new teachers.(Photo: Brad Kadrich)